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As I've mentioned before, Jonathan has been doing a lot of name games because he LOVES to do school, and because he has a long name to learn! Here's a simple way for kids to play and learn with the letters in their name.

I made Jonathan this simple name parking lot with a Amazon Prime box. (We have so many awesome boxes thanks for Amazon Prime! My husband is always trying to throw them away and I am always saving them. You never know when you might need a box or 10, right?) I used mailing labels to put the letters in his name on some Hot Wheels cars.

Jonathan has had fun driving the cars to the correct parking space that matches the letter on the car. Add some wooden blocks or and cardboard tunnel and you have a great scene for imaginative play.

Simple and hands on!
Need more name activities? Here are some simple name activities for preschoolers that we love!

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Learn Your Name with Hot Wheels Cars - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

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As I've mentioned before, Jonathan has been doing a lot of name games because he LOVES to do school, and because he has a long name to learn! Here's a simple way for kids to play and learn with the letters in their name. I made Jonathan this simple name parking lot with a Amazon [...]

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PURPLE

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The Wheels On The Bus featuring Noodle & Pals | Super Simple Songs

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We All Go Traveling By (US) | Barefoot Books Singalong

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Monster Trucks with Blippi Toys | Monster truck Song for Kids

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Hi families!
Lisa and I have created a collaborative post to discuss behavior and communication. In the video, we demonstrate simple ways to address two big communication functions that can cause some problem behaviors at home: “Finished” and “help”.

Please let us know if you have other areas of concerns that you need help with! Also, let us know if you enjoyed this collaboration and would like to see more of it in the future!

Enjoy!
~Ms. Lisa & Mr. Ted

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Prompting is one of the most used evidence-based practices in special education.  It is used in every classroom, and mentioned in every IEP, but what exactly is a prompt?  A prompt is ANYthing we do to ensure our students get the correct answer or engage in the correct behavior.  When using a prompt, the goal is to make sure the student engages in the desired behavior so we can then reinforce it.  The more we reinforce a behavior the more likely they will be to do it independently, as we fade our prompts.  This may seem highly detailed, but prompts are something we all use daily, often without thinking about it.  For example, while driving we are surrounded by prompts to remind us of correct driving behavior.  Many of us keep calendars, alarms and to do lists on our phone so we do not forget important things.  The best part of using prompts is that it takes the frustration out of learning.  By prompting to make sure your student is successful, learning becomes a positive experience!

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PURPLE

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Baby Shark - Pinkfong Kids’ Songs & Stories

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Baby Shark Dance | #babyshark Most Viewed Video | Animal Songs | PINKFONG Songs for Children

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A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea | Barefoot Books Singalong

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Morning MeditOcean — A Guided Meditation with the Open Sea

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Whenever I am asked to help when a student is struggling to learn a skill, I look first at the reinforcement.   A student’s motivation to learn is critical, and without it, learning will likely not occur.  Often a students struggle can be related to their motivation.  They may not understand the purpose of the skill you are teaching (say toilet training, brushing teeth, eating healthy foods) and thus need something to help get them started.  If you find your student hitting a wall with a skill think about these four areas.

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When discussing reinforcers, two things typically come to mind: food and toys.  Reinforcement can be so much more though.  The categories in this info-graphic are not set in stone, but merely a tool for us to consider other reinforcers for our students.  My favorite type of reinforcers are social interactions.  Social reinforcers such as high-fives, tickles, silly faces etc. are wonderful because they also promote social skills, an area of need for many of our students.  The other great part about social reinforcers is scarcity.  Reinforcers that are too readily available can lose their value.  If Mom, Dad, Teacher and sibling are all handing out Cheez-it’s as reinforcers every day, eventually your student may tire of them.  Only Dad can play tickle monster the right way though.  And nobody’s silly dance compares to Moms.  What is one of your child’s favorite reinforcers?

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Reinforcement is one of the most powerful tools in special education.  It is also the easiest to use both in the classroom and at home!  To use reinforcement all you need to do is provide a reinforcer when your child engages in a behavior you want them to do more often.   Asking for their favorite food, brushing their teeth, or using the toilet are all common skills we reinforce at Walton.  To get started with reinforcement you need to identify reinforcers for your child.  The easiest way to do this is to keep track of what they like! The best reinforcers are toys they play with, foods they eat, or anything that makes them smile.  If you feel like your child has little or no reinforcers, try exposing them to new things as much as possible.  You could find their new favorite thing tomorrow!

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Here are a few of my favorite games and activities to help encourage verbalization. *Animal sounds- If you have any animal puzzles, books, figurines at home. Try making animal sounds while playing with these items. Repeat the animal sound several times for each animal while you play.  For a lot of my students, their first true verbal imitations I hear in speech are animal sounds. *Pillow case and animals activity: Hide your child’s favorite action figures, figurines, toy animals in a pillow case. Pull out one at a time and say “hi” to it. Keep practicing until all of the toys are removed. Next you can practice saying “bye” as you throw each toy back into the pillow case. If your child can’t say the words “hi” or “bye”, see if they can imitate waving hi or bye during the activity.                        *Car sounds: If you have any toy cars at your home, try having your child imitate car noises such as “beep” or “boom”. Make a game of crashing cars and say “boom” when they hit. Drive the cars around the ground and say “beep” as they avoid obstacles on the floor.                          *Fake sneeze game: For some reason students love this activity! Place any small toy your child likes on your head. Pretend to make a fake sneeze “Ah, ah, ah” then tip your head forward so the toy falls to the floor and say, “choo”. I like to say “uh oh” when the item falls and see if your child will imitate that expression each time the toy falls. Also, you can try to have your child say “more” to request the fake sneeze game again. Don’t forget to try using the sign for “more” if your child doesn’t attempt the word.  

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Here are a few of my favorite games and activities to help encourage verbalization. *Animal sounds- If you have any animal puzzles, books, figurines at home. Try making animal sounds while playing with these items. Repeat the animal sound several times for each animal while you play.  For a lot of my students, their first true verbal imitations I hear in speech are animal sounds. *Pillow case and animals activity: Hide your child’s favorite action figures, figurines, toy animals in a pillow case. Pull out one at a time and say “hi” to it. Keep practicing until all of the toys are removed. Next you can practice saying “bye” as you throw each toy back into the pillow case. If your child can’t say the words “hi” or “bye”, see if they can imitate waving hi or bye during the activity.                        *Car sounds: If you have any toy cars at your home, try having your child imitate car noises such as “beep” or “boom”. Make a game of crashing cars and say “boom” when they hit. Drive the cars around the ground and say “beep” as they avoid obstacles on the floor.                          *Fake sneeze game: For some reason students love this activity! Place any small toy your child likes on your head. Pretend to make a fake sneeze “Ah, ah, ah” then tip your head forward so the toy falls to the floor and say, “choo”. I like to say “uh oh” when the item falls and see if your child will imitate that expression each time the toy falls. Also, you can try to have your child say “more” to request the fake sneeze game again. Don’t forget to try using the sign for “more” if your child doesn’t attempt the word.  

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Minus the smells!

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The Farmer In The Dell | Kids Songs | Super Simple Songs

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Old MacDonald Had A Farm | Nursery Rhymes | Super Simple Songs

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Tips for promoting imitation of speech

Is your child starting to make babbling sounds or engaging in vocal play? This is an early sign your child might be ready to start trying to say some real words too. How do we work on encouraging verbalization at Walton? Here are a few of my tips.

1)      Play next to your child and be at eye level so they can see your mouth movements.

2)      Trying to have your child imitate a word? Put the object right by your mouth. Then say the word. Example: Put your child’s milk cup by your mouth then say “Milk!”

3)      Say words in a slow, exaggerated way.

4)      Repeat the word several times during the interaction. “Milk, drink milk, yummy milk, milk, more milk, your milk”

5)      After saying the key word, pause for several seconds…see if they try it.

6)      Praise and acknowledge any attempt at talking!! Even if your child’s attempt doesn’t sound like the true word, repeat what you think they tried to say. Ex: If your child says “muh” while drinking milk, you could say, “milk, I like milk” in response.

7)      Finally, if your child is babbling or making sounds and you really have no idea what they might be attempting to say, just join in and imitate what he/she is “saying”. By imitating your child’s speech you are letting them know that what they are saying is important and encourages them to keep trying.

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In addition to copying movements during songs, you can also practice imitation lots of different ways during play with most any toy at home. They key is to choose a toy your child likes, show him/her what to do with the toy, then give them a turn (wait 10 seconds and see if they will try to copy you), if they don’t imitate after 10 seconds, provide hand over hand support and then model the movement again to see if they will imitate.

Here are some ideas to try at home:

-Tap blocks on the floor making noises on various surfaces around the house. Will your child join in the fun?

-Have toy cars or trucks lying around? Try having your child imitate pushing them around or racing them down homemade ramps made of pillows or cardboard.

-Roll or bounce a ball with your child, see if they will roll it back to you.

-Piano play. Try making exaggerated movements tapping on a toy piano.  See if your child will try and do the same.

-Put sticky notes on a cabinet, see if your child will help you stick them on or imitate you pulling them off of the cabinet.

-Pretend to hop like a bunny or stomp like an elephant. See if your child will join in with the silly movements.

Remember, laugh and have fun with these activities and don’t be afraid to move on to a different toy if your child seems to lose interest. Happy imitating!

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One of the first ways our children learn new skills is through imitation.

Did you know children usually learn how to copy large body movements before imitating small movements such as those required for speaking? That’s why we have our students try to imitate big motor movements during circle time activities at school. Students try to copy things like shaking hands, clapping, waving arms, swaying, jumping, and shaking instruments and scarves.

If you’d like to try some motor imitation at home, grab a scarf, long sock, or extra pillowcase (1 for you and 1 for your child), and play this video. Try to have your student copy your movements with the scarf. If your child is not copying yet, no worries! You can gently help them with a few of the movements, and hopefully over time they will start to try more on their own. The most important thing to remember is have fun! If you child sees you enjoying the activity, they will be more likely to join in.

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Jiggle Your Scarf | Action & Movement Songs for Toddlers & Preschoolers(Official Music Video)

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TheLearningStation - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes

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Shake Your Sillies Out ♫ Brain Breaks Songs for Kids ♫ Kids Action Songs by The Learning Station

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The Wheels On The Bus featuring Noodle & Pals | Super Simple Songs

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Walton Behavior Tips During School Closure_COVID 19_English.pdf

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wash hands, shower, bathroom, brush teeth.pdf

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Official Animated Film | Made For Kids | Eric Carle Book

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The Very Quiet Cricket (The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Stories) | Made For Kids | Eric Carle

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How to make a weighted blanket, things to consider

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Here's a list of activities to do at home to help with focusing & engagement.

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Pete the cat | I love my white shoes - with subtitles

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POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR, WHAT DO YOU HEAR? | CHILDREN'S READ ALOUD BOOK

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Groovy Joe Ice Cream & Dinosaurs By Eric Litwin Read Aloud For Kids

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Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer

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The Singing Walrus - English Songs For Kids

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Days of the Week Song | The Singing Walrus

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done.

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WEEK 04/15-04/22

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Week 4/22-4/29
4/29-5/6

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R & S

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YELLOW!!

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Balloon Fun!

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Supplies will be in the packet pick up

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Color the Rainbow Kindergarten Worksheet

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Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole

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Rain Rain Go Away | Family Song for Kids | Super Simple Songs